Games of chance are becoming increasingly a part of industry and commerce. Such games of chance include specialty tickets of the paper type which have first and second sections, a first section of which identifies the ticket and a second section which contains a hidden combination of indicia representing winning and nonwinning combinations.
In one such type of ticket, the portion containing the concealed indicia comprises a plurality of folded sections on the inside of which is printed the combination of indicia. Once the sections are folded, a strip of thin colored paper is wrapped over the outside of the folded sections and the ends of the paper are glued together to hold the sections in the folded condition. The colored paper also serves to prevent the concealed indicia from becoming visible upon "candling" with a high-power light source. When the purchaser desires to open the ticket he simply tears the thin paper wrapping and opens the folds.
In another type of specialty ticket, one or more combinations of indicia may be placed on a first card with a second card placed over and covering the surface of the first card. The two cards are attached in some manner such as by glue placed at the edges. Over each combination of indicia is a rectangular cover section in the second card that has perforated edges around at least three sides thereof which can be torn loose and the rectangular cover section lifted to view the indicia thereunder.
Because these specialty tickets are becoming so numerous, it is important that they be made as economically as possible and as simply as possible and still ensure that the concealed indicia cannot be seen through the paper without the ticket being opened. In the prior art specialty tickets, it is expensive and time-consuming to either place a colored paper band around the folded portion of the ticket and glue the ends thereof or to place a top card over the indicia printed on a bottom card and place perforations in the top card to form an area superimposed on and surrounding the indicia on the bottom card so that the perforated area of the top card can be torn loose to expose the concealed indicia.
In partially commonly assigned co-pending application Ser. No. 07/477,675 filed Feb. 9, 1990 for "Specialty Game Cards and Method and Apparatus for Making Same", a specialty ticket is disclosed that has a first panel with identifying indicia and a second panel formed with folded sections that conceal winning or nonwinning combinations of indicia. The sections are securely held by crimped perforations extending along and through the side edges of only the folded sections forming the second panel. These crimped perforations hold the folded sections securely together yet allow them to be easily separated so that the combination of indicia concealed on the inside of these sections may be exposed. However, the perforations must be formed after the ticket has been folded and glued. This process is somewhat complicated by reason of the requirement to form the perforations through the folded portion of the ticket after it has been folded and glued.
The present invention overcomes this disadvantage by providing a specialty ticket that can be made in a much more simple and economical manner. The ticket has a first panel with identifying indicia and a second panel integrally formed with the first panel and formed of two folded sections which, when folded over at least an area of the first panel, forms at least three thickness concealing indicia representing winning or nonwinning combinations on the inside of the folded sections. Adhesive holds only the outer side edges of the folded sections securely together. Perforations extend inwardly of the adhesive and along the outer side edges of only the two folded sections forming the second panel to allow the two folded sections to be torn along the perforations to expose the indicia hidden on the inside thereof. With this construction, the perforations extending inwardly of the adhesive and along the outer side edges of only the two folded sections forming the second panel can be placed in the tickets after the printing but prior to the folding and gluing and, thus, enable a simpler process to be used to construct the ticket that is more economical. The folded sections also have an opaque color on at least one side of one or more of them to prevent the concealed indicia from being viewed through the folded sections. Further, if desired, the entire first and second panels, both sides, may be a solid opaque color with contrasting colored indicia printed thereon. This embodiment is included in the use of the term "opaque section" herein. In addition, a glue dot may placed between the bottom one of the folded sections and the adjacent folded area to assist in preventing unwanted separation of the folded sections.
A method is disclosed in which the elongated tickets in the unfolded state are first printed with the desired indicia and have opaque colors added on at least one side of one or more sections to prevent the concealed indicia from being revealed with a powerful light when the sections are folded. The ticket is then perforated inwardly and along the outer side edges where the top two folded sections will be formed. Then the ticket is taken to a device well known in the art for placing the glue in the desired areas between the outer edge of the ticket and the perforations. Finally, the tickets are folded to their final state.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a game ticket that is more easily and economically formed.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide perforations in the ticket in its unfolded state in desired areas that enable the ticket to have a portion removed along the perforations to view the concealed indicia.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a ticket which has a first panel with the visible indicia on a first area thereon and having a second adjacent area and a second panel integrally formed with the first panel and having folded sections that can be folded over the second area to form at least three thicknesses with indicia thereon representing winning or nonwinning combinations and having perforations extending inwardly of adhesive placed only on the outer side edges of the folded sections such that when the sections are folded over the second area, only the two sections can be torn along the perforations to expose the indicia hidden on the inside thereof.